When ESPN The Laddie Mag's Body Issue was announced, tWWL was assertive about not becoming Playboy, a magazine for which Danica Patrick has not posed nude. The Body Issue may — or may not! — distinguish itself in that way.

Patrick has graced the pages of FHM and Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit Issue, but declined an offer to go clothesless in Hef's shrine to womankind. But ESPN The Mag? That's a dealbreaker, ladies, SportsByBrooks reported Thursday night. Darren Rovell did some gumshoe reporting and got comments from Mr. Gary Belsky and Patrick's camp, which was shocked — shocked! — to hear the report. (Your paycheck, ma'am.)

So says Patrick's rep:

Lewis Kay of BNC public relations, which helps represent Patrick, came back with this note. "Danica is NOT confirmed to appear in the issue, nor has she even been approached," Kay wrote.

"We are not announcing which athletes are participating in The Body Issue at this time," Belsky, wrote in an e-mail. "When we do reveal the participant list, we will not reveal who disrobed and who did not. The photos will answer most such questions, of course; and we will otherwise let the individual athletes reveal, should they so choose, whether they removed all clothing for our shoots."

"Some are fully disrobing, some are not. That's why we're calling it The Body Issue, not The Nude Issue. In every case, the photos are appropriate and tasteful. The Body Issue is a celebration and exploration of the athletic form in all its glory and extremes, situated within the boundaries of taste and the frontiers of artistic excellence upon which ESPN The Magazine and ESPN have built their reputations."

Personally, though, I don't understand the fuss. So what if ESPN The Mag is trying to be a more refined copycat of Playboy once a year? I read it for the articles anyway.